Know Your LGBT History - Soap and Billy Crystal

How many of you knew that legendary comedian and Oscar host Billy Crystal portrayed one of the first regular gay characters on television. He did so in the television sit-com Soap

From the youtube video description:

In this clip, Jodie -portrayed here by a 29 year old Billy Crystal (Hail Billy Crystal)has a heart to heart with brother Danny (Ted Wass), who has been in denial about his brother's homosexuality. Jodie is not ashamed of his homosexuality. One of the first characters in television history to be out and out gay and not ashamed to admit so to his family. This scene broke barriers.

So despite the often...misrepresentation of gay people by the show, SOAP is one of the FIRST to help with the mainstreaming of homosexuality. To remove the taboo on talking about them, not only as a topic of discussion, but as people with feelings.

Note: In early episodes, Jodie was persuing a sex-change in order to live a "normal life" with his boyfriend. This storyline was dropped, as an LGBT consultant claimed it was too stereotypical and not true to life (though in the 50s- 60s, many gay men did have sex changes to avoid stigmas about their homosexuality. These days we understand that gay men do not wish to be women, and that sexual orientation is separate from the experience of gender- such as in the situation of transgender people).

 Past Know Your LGBT History Posts:

'Ex-gay groups promise to soldier on after death of Exodus International' and other Friday midday news briefs

Ex-Gay Christian Groups Will Continue After Exodus As Religious LGBT Support Grows - Oh come on, y'all. You really didn't think it would be that easy, did you? 

Myths and Stereotypes That Dehumanize Gay Men Must Be Challenged: Start With These 10! - I hate it when we assume that other people no longer believe these things. THEY DO!

 Linda Harvey: Gay Marriage Will Result In Generation Of ‘Barbarians’ - Shit! Who told her? Can't we keep ANYTHING a secret?  

Congressman Says Gays Should Hide Their Orientation At Work - Cause, you know, it's not like lgbts have families or loved ones we would like to talk about at work or pictures we want to put at our desks of our spouses and the like.

This male cheerleading team could teach Beyonce a few tricks

For those who have preconceived negative notions about the South, I give you Alabama's premiere all-male cheerleading team, the Prancing Elites:

 

No matter how much you try to hold it down, the natural fierceness comes out.

Eat your heart out, Roland Martin and Donnie McClurkin.